The Flu
by That GF FAN
Summary: Mabel comes home from school one day with a sore throat which soon turns into a pretty nasty case of the flu. Dipper being the only other person at home takes it upon himself to care of his sister till she gets better.


**The Flu**

* * *

 _Setting: Winter break. The first winter after Dipper and Mabel got back from Gravity Falls._

 _Cover art by: Bshobe_

* * *

It was a beautiful and chilly winters day in Piedmont California. Dipper was back home before Mabel was. It was theBsh last day of school before the winter holidays. Earlier that morning the two of them had said goodbye to their parents who were going on a one week trip to see some relatives. After how responsible the two of them had been during their time in Gravity Falls, their parents were more confident the two could take care of themselves.

Dipper was finishing up a snack when he heard the front door open and close. Mabel was their taking off her snow gear before walking into the kitchen. "Hey Mabel" said Dipper. Mabel however does not respond. She opened the fridge, got a glass of water and drank it. "Hey Dipper" she says after that. "My throat was a bit scratchy so I just needed to take a drink first". After that Mabel went upstairs to say hi to Waddles. Dipper could hear her coughing a bit but other then a few times seeing her come down to get a glass of water, he suspected nothing of it.

It was later that night while he was asleep he began to notice. He could hear Mabel tossing and turning in bed and even heard her sniffling a bit.

Next morning arrived. "Good morning Mabel" Dipper said knowing Mabel would be up already. He looked over to her bed and noticed she was still asleep. He walked over to her. "Hey Mabel you up" he said. Mabel then woke up and started to sneeze. "Morning Dipper. my throat does not feel good at all" she says. Dipper then feels her forehead. Just as he suspected. It was warmer then normal. Mabel had come down with the flu. He had seen other kids at school getting sick as well. He and Mabel were some of the few kids who had not fallen sick yet. But know Mabel had.

"Looks like you have the flu Mabel" says Dipper. "I think you should stay in bed for the rest of the day". "Ah come on" she says. "I wanted to see the Ducktective Christmas special later today. My tablet won't be able to play it I know for a fact". Dipper laughed a bit. "Don't worry ill figure out something". Dipper then went downstairs and came back up a bit later. "I just got off the phone with mom" he said. "She told me I should take care of you until you get better". "Really like my own personal servant" she says smiling. "Oh boy" says Dipper.

For the rest of that morning Dipper spent half his time in the kitchen making breakfast for himself, a simple piece of toast, and then as their mom had told him, a water poached egg with toast for Mabel along with a cup of hot honey lemon tea for her sore throat. The rest of that first morning was spent with Dipper having to constantly run up to their room for some ridiculous request by Mabel. Sometimes it was to open the window, close it, fluff her pillow, etc. It tired him out but luckily by the afternoon, Mabel was taking a nap. He resorted to calling Grunkle Stan and Ford. Apparently, Ford wanted to prove to Stan that Santa does not live at the north pole so he was taking them their but due to a storm, they were in Oslo for a while. Dipper laughed at that. He wished them both well after they told him to tell Mabel to get well soon before hanging up.

Later that evening the Ducktective Christmas special was to air. Dipper knew how disappointed Mabel would be if she missed it. He then had an idea. It may break his back but it was worth it.

Upstairs Mabel was fast asleep. However she was suddenly awoken by the loud noise of something being dragged down the hallway. She looked over to see Dipper pushing into their room, the old large silver Samsung TV. "Dipper what on earth are you doing" she said. Dipper had to stop to catch his breath. "Well I guess someone does not want to watch the Ducktective Christmas special do they" he says smiling. "You big goof, I could have just come downstairs you know" Mabel says. "I'm not letting you spread germs everywhere, anyways it'll be fun" responds Dipper.

After about an hour, Dipper gets the old thing hooked up and 2 hours and an entire box of extra butter microwave popcorn later, the two had watched the Ducktective Christmas special from the comfort of their own beds.

Soon it was bed time. "Okay so mom told me I have to give you this medicine before you go to sleep" says Dipper. "What gross not that one" Mabel says in disgust. She had always hated the taste of medicine. "Oh, come on it'll make you better faster" Dipper says. Mabel keeps shaking her head like an unhappy 5 year old kid. Dipper then comes up with an idea. "Okay, I guess I won't tell you what Grunkle Stan told me on the phone earlier today" he says. "What did he say" says Mabel. He got her. After that it took Dipper no time to get Mabel to take her medicine. "He told me to tell you get well soon" says Dipper just before turning out the light. He could see Mabel smiling just before that.

Through out the night Dipper kept getting woken up by Mabel coughing, sniffing, getting up to get a drink of water and tossing around in bed. It annoyed him but he knew Mabel was unwell and taking care of her was his responsibility. He could have easily gone to their parent's room to sleep in so Mabel's flu would not affect him. But he had peace at mind knowing he was only a few feet away to help her out just in case. Like that one time he had gotten pretty sick from food poisoning and almost threw up on his bed. If it had not been for Mabel yelling for their parents and being buy his bed side till they got there, he would certainly have made one big mess.

The next two days were pretty much the same. Mabel was still sick but getting better by the day. By day 2 her throat was no longer sore and by day 3, her coughing was now less often and less severe. For Dipper, it was tiring. From running back and forth, making Mabel soup, giving her whatever medicine their mom told him over the phone, being by her bedside to keep her company. It was tiring, but he felt responsible.

"Dipper" said Mabel as the two of them were about to go to bed at the end of day 3. "Yes Mabel" he says. "You need more tissues?" "No, its not that" she says. "I just wanted to say thank you for taking care of me over these last few days. I know it must be tiring but you have never given up even when I asked the dumbest things, you're the best bro bro". "Thanks Mabel" said Dipper smiling. "Its nothing really, I would do it all over again if I had too". He turned out the light and they both went to sleep after that.

Morning arrived. Mabel was awake before Dipper was. She noticed something. Her throat was not aching anymore, her nose was not stuffy nor was she on the brink of sneezing or even coughing. She was no longer sick. She jumped out of bed and ran over to Dipper. "Hey Dipper wake up, I'm no longer sick" she said smiling. Dipper started waking up. "Oh, uh morning Mab…." his response was cut short as he stared coughing a lot. "Uhh my throat is aching like crazy" he says. "Uh oh, looks like you have the flu now Dipper" says Mabel. "Ahh come on" he said. "I was the last one at school to not get sick, thanks for failing me again immune system". "Don't worry bro bro" says Mabel. "Looks like its my turn to take care of you. Doctor Mabel paging Doctor Waddles, we got a boy here with a bad case of the flu" Dipper started laughing as Mabel ran into the closet and put on her old doctor's coat. "Don't worry about breakfast Dipper, doctor Mabel is on the job" she said as she ran downstairs.

Dipper sat there laughing to himself about how now it was Mabel who was going to take care of him "Should I be concerned" he says to himself, thinking back to how the last time Mabel played doctor he almost ended up having to go to the actual doctor. "Nah she's got this". Just then Mabel runs into the bedroom. "Hey Dipper quick question" she says. "What's a water poached egg?" Dipper looks up surprised. "Never mind, ill call mom and ask her, you stay here and get some rest" she says before racing downstairs.

Dipper laughs a bit as he looks down to waddles walking around the room. "Oh boy" he says. "What have we gotten ourselves into buddy". Dipper lays back down in bed as he waits for Mabel to return with breakfast, while also hoping she does not burn the house down in the process. "Its going to be a long 3 days" he says as he turns on the TV.

* * *

 **THE END**


End file.
